Player News

News: Tate agreed to a contract with the Steelers on Tuesday, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. (Dec 30)

Impact: The Steelers brought Tate in to provide some depth with Le'Veon Bell (knee) questionable at best for Saturday's wild-card game against the Ravens. It's anyone's guess as to exactly how the Steelers would split the carries in Bell's absence, but in such a scenario, Tate at least gives the Steelers a veteran to turn to if the team's two rookie running backs -- Dri Archer and Josh Harris -- aren't getting the job done. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 2:43p ET)

News: Green left Sunday's game late in the fourth quarter, after taking a hard hit to the head and will be subject to the NFL's concussion protocol, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. (Dec 29)

Impact: The diagnosis was essentially a given, as Green was hit directly in the head by a defender, just a split-second after getting stripped by another defender. Already playing through a biceps bruise that's believed to be fairly serious, Green was down on the field for a couple of minutes, before walking off in an apparent daze. He caught eight passes for 82 yards in Sunday's game, but he needed 13 targets to get there and was partially responsible for two turnovers. Prior to the fumble, a ball tipped off his hands during the first half, leading to an easy interception for the Steelers. The throw from Andy Dalton was poor, but it was the kind of catch that Green typically makes. If Green isn't available for Sunday's playoff game against the Colts, Cincinnati will have extra targets to divide between Mohamed Sanu, Jermaine Gresham, Brandon Tate and Dane Sanzenbacher. While he has since all but disappeared, Sanu stepped up in a big way when Green missed time earlier in the season. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 12:08a ET)

News: Bell has been diagnosed with a hyperextended right knee, and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he is unsure whether the star running back will be able to play in Saturday's wild-card game against the Ravens, ESPN's Scott Brown reports. (Dec 28)

Impact: The early diagnosis is a favorable one for the Steelers, after Bell took a hard hit to the knee during the third quarter of Sunday's game. He was deemed doubtful to return and never made it back into the contest. More information should be available throughout the week, as Bell's health will undoubtedly be one of the top storylines for the first round of the playoffs. The star running back ran for just 20 yards on eight carries in Sunday's regular-season finale, but he caught six passes for 80 yards. If Bell is unable to suit up for Saturday's game against the arch-rival Ravens, Pittsburgh will have to go with the untested duo of Dri Archer and Josh Harris. The team may also take a look into free agency, though the options aren't very appealing at this point in the season. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 11:56p ET)

News: Rodgers appeared to aggravate his calf injury late in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Lions. He was helped off the field and carted to the locker room for further testing. (Dec 28)

Impact: Rodgers came into the game with a calf strain and appeared to aggravate the injury while scrambling in the red zone, flipping a four-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb, before collapsing and grabbing his injured leg. Matt Flynn immediately began warming up on the sideline and is expected to replace Rodgers on the Packers' next drive. It's obviously too early to know anything about the severity of the injury, but the Packers need a win in this game to secure a first-round bye. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 5:40p ET)

News: Edelman (concussion, thigh) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Bills. (Dec 28)

Impact: With the Patriots having already clinched the top playoff seed in the AFC, the team is playing it safe with banged up starters like Edelman. Meanwhile fellow wideout Brandon LaFell is active Sunday, while Danny Amendola is a candidate to see added looks in Week 17, along with the likes of Brian Tyms and Josh Boyce. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 11:43a ET)

News: Gronkowski is inactive for Sunday's game against the Bills. (Dec 28)

Impact: With the Patriots having clinched the top playoff seed in the AFC, they'll play it safe with their star tight end on Sunday, with Tim Wright a candidate to see added looks in the team's Week 17 offense as a result. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 11:40a ET)

News: Gordon has been suspended for Sunday's season finale due to a violation of team rules. (Dec 27)

Impact: The embattled receiver apparently missed Saturday's walk-through, which may have led to the decision. With Gordon inactive, the Browns added receiver Phil Bates to the roster in his place. Gordon will end the season having played in only five games, amassing 303 yards on 24 catches (47 targets). (Source:RotoWire / Time: 1:54p ET)

News: Rodgers (calf) is listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Lions. (Dec 26)

Impact: Rodgers was limited at practice this week, but head coach Mike McCarthy said Friday that he is not overly concerned about Rodgers' health, and the probable designation affirms that. The Lions contained Rodgers last time the two teams faced off in Week 3, but Sunday's game will come at Lambeau Field, where Rodgers owns a 23:0 TD:INT ratio this season. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 1:53p ET)

News: Jones (hip) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. (Dec 26)

Impact: A final call on Jones' status is unlikely to come until game day, but with the NFC South title on the line, and Jones practicing Friday, fantasy owners and Falcons fans should be optimistic about him suiting up in Week 17. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 12:30p ET)

News: Smith has a lacerated spleen and will not play in Sunday's game against the Chargers, ESPN's Adam Teicher reports. (Dec 26)

Impact: As a result, Chase Daniel is in line to start Sunday's game, and beyond -- should the Chiefs qualify for the postseason -- with team trainer Rick Burkholder indicating that the type of injury that Smith is dealing with typically takes about six week to recover from. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 12:19p ET)

Impact: Upholding the optimism displayed by the Jones family all week, Murray is suiting up, after breaking a bone in his left hand last Sunday. As expected, Murray's hand will be protected by a padded glove, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, but the protection may not be enough to salvage his normal pass-catching prowess. Moreover, the possibility exists for an aggravation of the injury, meaning Joseph Randle is a decent bet to make his presence felt in some capacity. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 3:07p ET)

News: Newton (back) is active and will start Sunday's game against the Browns, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. (Dec 21)

Impact: Newton has been given the green light by doctors and will be back under center, after missing just one game due to his back injury. He will wear a protective vest, but he still may be a bit tender just 12 days after the accident, so he may be more tentative than usual to escape the pocket and make plays happen with his feet. Plus, if the Browns defense is hemorrhaging rushing yards like it did last week, Newton may spend much of the day handing the ball off to Jonathan Stewart. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 11:27a ET)

News: Edelman (concussion/thigh) is expected to sit out Sunday's game against the Jets, the Boston Herald reports. According to the Herald, Edelman did not travel with the team to New York. (Dec 20)

Impact: The Herald cites two sources who say Edelman likely won't play, and the paper's report that Edelman didn't travel makes it a near certainty, if true. If Edelman ends up sitting as the Herald expects, it would solidify the already significant fantasy value of Rob Gronkowski and Brandon LaFell. LaFell is technically questionable with a shoulder issue, but the Herald expects him to play. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 5:38p ET)

News: Newton (back) is listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Browns, the Charlotte Observer's Joe Person reports. (Dec 19)

Impact: This news makes it all but certain that Newton will be under center Sunday afternoon. Head coach Ron Rivera said Newton is "on track" to start and that "everything is positive" regarding the quarterback's injury. You'll want to confirm his status Sunday before using him (he still needs to be officially cleared by the doctors), but Newton looks like he will be safe to deploy, though he may not need to go to the air very frequently against the Browns if the running game is gashing Cleveland's D like the Bengals did last week. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 12:58p ET)

News: After not practicing Friday, Jones (hip) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Saints. (Dec 19)

Impact: Jones still has not practiced since suffering the injury Dec. 8, but the Falcons remain somewhat optimistic that he will be able to play. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jones will attempt to run and cut on Saturday, and his recovery from that workout will help the Falcons determine his availability for Sunday. In other words, he's a true game-time decision, and anyone planning to use Jones this week will need to check back Sunday to confirm his availability (or lack thereof). (Source:RotoWire / Time: 12:38p ET)

News: Cutler will be benched in favor of Jimmy Clausen for the Bears' Week 16 matchup against the Lions, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. (Dec 17)

Impact: Cutler turned in another dreadful performance Monday night against the Saints, and this will apparently represent the final straw for head coach Marc Trestman. The franchise will now have some serious decisions to make regarding the future of the quarterback that signed a seven-year, $126 million contract just under a year ago. The Bears will presumably use the last two weeks of the season to take a longer look at Clausen, who has attempted just nine NFL passes since the 2010 season. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 6:39p ET)

News: Allen suffered a broken collarbone along with an ankle injury in Sunday's loss to the Broncos. (Dec 16)

Impact: The injury figures to jeopardize Allen's availability for the remainder of the season, but the Chargers are only saying for now that the second-year wideout is not expected to play Sunday against San Francisco. It's been a rather disappointing year for Allen's owners -- in standard leagues at least -- but he currently leads the Chargers in receptions (77) and yards (783). He's also been huge for Philip Rivers on third down, catching 19 passes for 219 yards. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 2:33p ET)

News: Spiller, currently on IR/designated to return after suffering a collarbone injury during Week 7, will be added back to the active roster this week. The running back is eligible to play this week against the Raiders, though Doug Marrone will first see how Spiller practices this week. (Dec 15)

Impact: The Bills haven't gotten anything great from the running back position since Spiller and Fred Jackson both got hurt in the same game, as Jackson seems to be doing the best he can but has lost some explosiveness. And the other two options - Anthony Dixon and Bryce Brown - have had their ups and downs. You'd really need to be hurting to expect Spiller to come in Week 16 and get a full load of carries, but he may be worth a dart for a deep bench if you know you're going to be working through the usual Week 17 guesswork. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 3:11p ET)

News: Cowboys VP Stephen Jones says that Murray will undergo surgery on Monday for a broken bone in his hand, Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News reports. (Dec 15)

Impact: As of yet the Cowboys haven't ruled Murray out for Week 16, but this is still an alarming development after X-rays taken Sunday night supposedly came back negative. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 2:39p ET)

News: Locker was forced from Sunday's game against the Jets with a left shoulder injury, Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean reports. (Dec 14)

Impact: With Zach Mettenberger out, Locker's latest injury results in Charlie Whitehurst taking over at QB for the Titans on Sunday. Locker was 6-of-11 for 57 passing yards and rushed for seven yards on two carries, prior to his injury. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 5:26p ET)

News: Jackson (shin) is active for Sunday's game against the Giants in New York. (Dec 14)

Impact: Jackson has brushed off a 50-50 chance to play in Week 15, but those odds imply the wide receiver isn't close to full health. Nonetheless, he'll seek to exploit a Giants defense that has allowed 13.3 YPC and five receiving touchdowns to wideouts in the last four contests. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 11:28a ET)

News: Johnson (concussion) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Colts, according to Stacey Dales of NFL Network. (Dec 14)

Impact: Johnson suffered the head injury during last Sunday's game against the Jaguars, and he had not cleared the NFL's concussion protocol as of Thursday, allowing DeVier Posey to be active for the first time this season, according to the Houston Chronicle. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 11:28a ET)

Impact: The development isn't a surprise due to Jones' failure to practice all week. In his stead, Roddy White (ankle) and Harry Douglas (foot) will be the preferred options for Matt Ryan and a Falcons passing attack that has averaged 42 pass attempts per game over the past four weeks. (Source:RotoWire / Time: 11:26a ET)